Briar's Book of Challenges
by Briardust
Summary: Welcome, stranger. *Grabs a big, thick, dusty book and plunks it on table.* You have reached Briar's Book of Challenges. Beware- for it will take you deeper into my mind than any other can go. You have been warned. Rated T for Warriors
1. Nine Lives Challenge

**A challenge for my forum, Feathers and Frost (Featherclan). We need more members. Please join!**

Lionflame padded down the worn path to the Moonpool, followed by his medicine cat, Pineberry. The golden tabby tom with green eyes and bushy fur lead the light brown, blue-eyes tom down. Pineberry spoke. "Lick a few drops from the Moonpool." Lionflame affectionately nuzzled his brother, who had been trained by Berrywhisker, trained by Shadownight, trained by Whiteleg, trained by Spiderleaf, trained by Sorrelheart, trained by Grayfang, trained by Alder.

Licking the water or the starry pond, Lionflame awoke to see the starry ranks of Starclan gathered around him. Pineberry was waiting patiently.

"Brownstar!" Lionflame gasped, seeing his old leader young and fresh again. True to his name, the tom had beautiful brown silky fur, and his yellow eyes shone with happiness as he viewed his old deputy.

"With this life I give you acceptance." He said once he had padded over completely. "Use it to view the ideas of your clan with an open mind." Lionflame felt a burst of pain as his nose touched Brownstar's, the feeling of having to set aside his opinions for his clan. Brownstar stepped back, but the pain still left the tom sore.

"Mother!" He exclaimed as Silverfang, a silvery tabby she-cat, came close.

"I am so proud of you, my two sons." She said, looking at Pineberry. "So with this life I give you the feel of a mother's love." Something extraordinary blazed through Lionflame as she spoke- the feeling that he would do anything, die, die, and die again, suffer the worst pain, of only his clan was safe. _There is NO way that a mother's love is this strong,_ he thought, _but I guess it must be._

He looked in confusion as a cat he had never seen before, a mud-brown tom, walked up to him. Pineberry's eyes blazed with respect, however, and he forgot his silence as he blurted out, "Are you Shadownight? Berrywhisker always spoke of you!" And though his question was not answered, Lionflame immediately knew it was so.

"With this life I give you compassion." Shadownight addressed Lionflame. "Use it to help a cat in need, no matter the clan." A strange feeling ripped Lionflame open as he drowned in the sense of never being able to help all the cats in the clans and beyond, and the responsibility of the task that was keeping his clanmates safe seemed much heavier. _How will I bear all this?_ He wailed in his mind.

Grassnose, the former deputy of Riverclan before he had died, touched noses with the golden tom. "With this life I give you strength," he started. "Use this to help your clanmates in need." Lionflame felt strength course through him until he could lift the largest mountain. Then it drained from him, and he realized that the strength he needed would be gained in time.

A yellow she-cat approached him next. _Sunflower._ Lionflame heard the name as if it was spoken to him.

"With this life I grant you courage. This will help keep you and your clan strong." A fire blazed through the tom, almost ripping him away. Digging his claws into the loose soil scattered on the rock, he waiting for the pain to subside. When it had, he was approached by Loosewhisker, a graying Shadowclan elder who was now at full potential. Lionflame struggled not to yowl as he received the life of persistence. His sixth life was given, but he already felt older than the moon itself.

A faint outline of a sandy she-cat with blazing green eyes approached. Barely seeable, she slowly but gracefully bounded over to Lionflame. It was Sandstorm, the legend huntress and mate of Firestar. Giving him a life of love, following your heart, and more burning pain, she stepped back to let another just-as-faint black tom step forward.

"I am Crowfeather." His voice declared. "With this life I give you change. It will occur- make the most of it." This life was calm and peaceful, and Lionflame relaxed. Once it was over, however, all his pains and worries flooded back just as heavy as before.

Lionflame had now received eight lives. _I wonder who will give me my last life?_

"It is I."

The tom lifted his head to see a tiny apprentice-sized she-cat with black spots on her white coat, looking young and beautiful as the days in which she lived.

"Songpaw." He murmured, remembering his young love and her vicious death at the jaws of a rogue badger. Thinking guiltily of his new mate and her sister, Darksong, he shuffled his paws.

"You chose well." Blinking, Lionflame's startled eyes gazed in his apprentice. "I am so happy for you, and have news as well as a life to share. Darksong is expecting your kits." Lionflame couldn't believe his ears, and a pride like none before sang through him. "So with this life I give you pride." Touching his nose, Lionflame was a bit dissapointed. This pride she supplied equaled nothing compared to his own.

"Lionstar! LIonstar! Lionstar!" As Lionstar's vision faded into blackness again along with Pineberry's, he was content with the world. All was well.

Rowantooth stood as deputy of Riverclan, and in Darksong's opinion he was perfect for the job. Taking care of patrols of the day of their kits, he handled everything with a firm paw.

But now it was time to name their children, and she was distracted by her thoughts as Lionstar slid into the den.

"Hello, dearest."

"Hello, Lionstar."

"Let's begin."

"Lets'."

Prodding a small black she-kit gently with his paw, Lionstar spoke first. "How about Hollykit?" Darksong smiled. It was perfect, and he knew it from her gaze, so she moved on the the next, a tom-kit with an orange pelt that faded into jet-black paws. "How about Duskkit?" She questioned. "Okay." Answered the father. Their gaze fell on the third kit, a she-kit with a white pelt and darker patches. Darksong looked up, emotion filling both cat's eyes.

"Lionstar?"

"Yes?"

"Let's name her Songkit."


	2. How Dare You? For SharkyClan

A challenge for Sharkyclan

forum/SharkyClan-Where-the-Kawaii-est-Live/191690/

The reeds rustled as Silverfang slipped after Darktooth, her mate. Where was he going? Silverfang was sure that he wouldn't cheat on her... right?

Ahead of her, Darktooth put his nose to the ground, stretching his dark tabby neck down in an attempt to smell and keep moving.

 _Dang my pelt!_ Silverfang thought, wincing as her sleek silver tabby shape shone in a patch on moonlight. Her blue eyes narrowed as she smelled her best friend, Featherflight. What was she doing here?

Finally, Darktooth stopped. Stalking the scent of the she-cat, he pounced into the clearing to find Featherflight.

"What in the name of Starclan..."

Featherflight whirled around, hissing. She leapt onto Darktooth's back, her lighter tabby pelt enveloping his. Snarling, they fought for what seemed like a moon to the frozen with shock Silverfang, who was still shielded from view by the bushes.

Yowling harshly, her best friend pinned down her mate. Blood dripped from both cat's flanks, and Featherflight had a scratch in her ear. Swiftly, she flew towards Darktooth's neck, aiming for the killing bite. Silverfang screeched and leaped towards her best friend about to kill her mate, yowling with terror and adrenaline. Ripping into Featherflight's pelt, she drew blood and ripped out skin. In pain, Featherflight staggered around, blindly fighting. Finally breaking free, she stood across the clearing from Silverfang, blood dripping down her pelt.

"How Dare You?" Hissed the silver tabby.

"I... I... he startled me?"

This wasn't the Featherflight Silverfang knew. she was tumbling back...

 _The silver apprentice leaped onto a light brown tabby. Play-fighting, they rolled over. When they stopped, they saw the new warrior Darktooth purring with amusement._

 _The scene changed- Silverfang and Featherflight had gotten their warrior names. Gazing into each other's eyes, Silverfang saw something different in her friends'... but passed it off as excitement._

 _They were in the nursery, where a black she-cat and a gray one had both just given birth. The black one looked down at four black kits and a silver tabby, purring in delight. The gray she-cat looked down at her light brown tabby and her tortoiseshell with pride as well._

 _"I will name the tortoiseshell Snailkit. And the tabby... Featherkit."_

 _"Beautiful, Graybird. I will name this black she-kit with a white chest Nightkit, her twin brother Coalkit, and Shadowkit will be the jet-black tom. The other black tom will be... Mosskit. And this beautiful girl will be Silverkit, in honor of her coat."_

 _"Nice, Nettleshade. Very nice."_

 _An eagle was coming, circling above the play area where seven young kits were playing. Hungry, it dived, screeching. Darkpaw, Graybird, and her mate, Rowanfeather, jumped over the kits, but not in time. Coalkit, Shadowkit, and Mosskit were carried away by large talons, never to be seen again._

 _The clan hummed with congratulations as Silverfang announced with Darktooth that they were mates. Snailfang, Nightripple, and Rowanfeather purred, walking up to them proudly. Only Featherflight held back- sulking in the shadows._

 **Quick Author's Note: Not what it seems.**

And then Featherflight was across from Silverfang again.

"Did... did you love him?"

"I- no."

"Then why? Why did you try to kill him?"

"I was jealous!"

"Of what?"

"You and him. He wasn't there as a kit when the eagle killed Coalkit, Shadowkit, and Mosskit! He wasn't friends with us for as long as we can remember! He JUST NOW came into your life. And... I didn't want you going away. I didn't want him to take you."

Silverfang turned to her mate to ask her opinion and stopped, jaw hanging loose. For lying, bleeding, dead upon the ground, was Darktooth.

"No!"

She rushed to him, buried her face in his pelt; turning with a calm rage unlike any other to Featherflight, she let cold hatred burn from her eyes.

"How did you kill him." It wasn't a request, but an order to know.

"When you leapt, I acted quick. I'm sorry, Silverfang. I look back on it now, horrified. But will you forgive me?"

"Forgive you? Forgive you? How could I forgive you?" Ignoring the shocked look on her ex-friend's face, she fled.

Three moons later, Silverfang was hunting.

"I'm ready to leave and never come back, but I need to know why you're still mad."

That voice hadn't been heard in moons, not since the argument. The cat the voice belonged to had never come back to camp. Some presumed her dead. Silverfang hoped it.

"You."

Turning, she saw Featherflight- bedraggled and worn, but there.

"Why? Why were you mad?"

"Oh, I DON'T KNOW." Silverfang answered, letting her voice rise, "BECAUSE YOU KILLED HIM? BECAUSE I LOVED HIM? BECAUSE..." She calmed herself down, and turned away. In a soft voice, she sent Featherflight away forever. Six moons later, they would find her dead on the Thunderpath, looking as if she had thrown herself. But they didn't know that yet.

"Because, while you were gone, and I knew that this was happening, I had his kits."


	3. Smile- SharkyClan

Nettlekit bounced from the nursery, heading over to the fresh-kill pile.

"Wait up, Nettlekit!" Coalkit, her brother, exclaimed. Their mother, Silverfang, plodded after them.

Nettlekit was almost in reach of a squirrel when she saw Blackpaw in the shadows behind the nursery. Bounding over, leaving Coalkit and her other brother, Darkkit, to fight over the squirrel, she approached him.

"Hiya, Blackpaw!"

Blackpaw looked down sadly at the little kit.

"Go away, Nettlekit."

"But..."

"Go be a kit. Go frolic and play and fight the other kits. Go have no worries at all. Go on, go. Shoo, and leave me alone."

"But I don't wanna!"

Blackpaw turned his back.

Determined, Nettlekit jumped onto his back.

"Hey! Get off!"

"Never!"

Blackpaw struggled, but Nettlekit wouldn't get off.

"Hey, Nettlekit!" Her brothers called. "Come check out this lizard we found!"

" _I_ found it myself." Boasted Coalkit proudly, puffing out his chest.

Nettlekit turned, still on Blackpaw's dark black back.

"Hey guys, come over HERE! Blackpaw's being a grouch!"

"I AM not!" Blackpaw exclaimed, finally tumbling the black she-kit off to join her brothers.

Coalkit, white patch set out against his dark chest, hurried over, Darkkit, a dark brown tabby, in tow.

"Grump! Grump! Grump!"

They circled in a small three-kit circle next to the tired apprentice.

 _Idiots._ Thought Blackpaw.

But all the same, he turned around quick as a fish, and slammed a paw in the middle of the circle. This unexpected move sent the kits flying, squealing in terror. Stomping around, he chased after them, a grin on his face.

Maybe he could play for just a _little_ while...

-5 moons later-

"Blacksplash! Blacksplash! Blacksplash!"

Blacksplash grinned at Nettleclaw. He had just saved her from a badger in the woods, and the clan was cheering his name. Nightripple, the deputy, yowled loud, as well Graybird and Rowanstar.

But what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them.

"How can you stay so calm?" A little voice asked from down below.

It was Cloudkit, a fluffy white she-kit with blue eyes. Nettleclaw had adopted her after they had found her in the woods. Now, of course, Blacksplash was her father, but she didn't need to know that. He thought back...

 _Nettleclaw gazed at her savior with wide green eyes. Beautiful eyes, if you were to ask the tom._

 _"You saved me. How? That badger was bigger than a sheep, and fifteen times more dangerous!"_

 _Blacksplash looked down at her, nuzzling her head._

 _"I kept a good attitude."_

 _"I could never do that in that situation!"_

 _"Oh, really?" His eyes shone as he looked down at her._

 _"I thought you weren't a grump!"_

 _"Oh, it's on!" They raced through the forest, tumbling onto each other, rolling round in mock-fights. After a while, they just stopped mid-roll, lying with their tails entwined together. Blacksplash drew his tongue through the hair on the top of her head, enjoying her presence so near his. Shifting closer, his blue eyes locked deep into her green ones._

 _"Nettleclaw?"_

 _"Yes?"_

 _"Will you be my mate?"_

 _"Oh! Blacksplash..." For a moment Blacksplash stiffened, unsure. Maybe it was a bad choice. Maybe she didn't love him. Maybe-_

 _"Of course."_

 _Purring loud enough to wake the forest, Blacksplash melted into the day, nestling closer into his mate._

 _Nettleclaw smiled. "We can relax- there's no rush."_

Blacksplash smiled. Gazing upon the small kit, he said the only thing that was fit for an answer-

"Smile."


	4. On Thin Ice

**A challenge for CloudClan!**

Blackpaw licked his single white paw and smirked, looking over at Nettlekit, who was walking right into his trap. As the Golden she-kit tumbled right into the nursery, she shrieked and ran out, snagging her fur on the bramble and bracken fronds, blue eyes wide with terror. As she skidded towards Splashstar, her dad's, den, she suddenly stopped. Turning slowly, the two moon old kit glared at Blackpaw, guessing. Blackpaw stifled a purr of amusement and raced out of the sandy hollow, ferns rustling as he sprang up the slope into the forest, looking back ver the crest, he saw Nettlekit staring angrily back at him from behind the fronds, tail so straight up it seemed to point right at the Leader's Rock.

When you first walked into camp, the first thing you might see is the massive, looming, bramble-and-bracken nursery, slightly blocking the medicine cat's gap in the ferns that led to the clearing that had a thin trickle of water right next to a boulder for herbs. Come out again and walk straight , and you find the dip in the ground that led to a semi-tunnel that lead to a cave that was the warrior's den. Come out and turn left, and you find the apprentice's den, thorns and bracken. The elder's den is right to the left or the Leader's Rock, half trees and bracken and brambles, and the Leader's Rock has a tunnel in the back from where it juts out of the hillside, is shaded by a screen of moss that heads to the leader's den. But anyway. Back to the story.

Blackpaw sneered as he watched Nettlekit pacing around the entrance, too goody-goody to leave. The log decoy of Squirrelfeather dead, Nettlekit's mother,) meant to scare her or her brothers, Stormkit (a gray tabby) and Berrykit (cream-colored), had spooked the best of the lot. Blackpaw's jet-black pelt shine against the forest, and he slid back into the undergrowth.

"Blackpaw!"

Splashstar's angry yowl grabbed the tom 'paw from his mouse. The Silver tom's green eyes flashed as the clearing swarmed with pelts of the cats from the clan. His scarred muzzle shoved itself into the Blackpaw's face.

"You. Are. Terrible."

"Too many times have passed!" Squirrelfeather's shrill, angry voice clashed with her fiery pelt and underbelly with white paws and amber eyes.

"Too many times have passed that you have pranked this clan, and o have to learn a lesson..."

Splashstar's voice faded out as Blackpaw remembered...

 _"Pranked!" Blackkit jumped on top of Juniperpaw as he went to get fresh-kill._

 _"Gotcha!" Blackkit squealed, rolling on top of his sister, Featherkit._

 _"You can't get away!" Blackpaw leapt onto his mother's tail. That was the last straw. Ripplingheart, a silver tabby with amber eyes and black paws, turned on hi with a hiss. Snarling, she told him all his faults and how she ated him and how he had dissapointed her._

 _Blackpaw hated pranks. So he did them. Did many cats not deserve it?..._

But now Ripplingheart was dead from the Tunderpath, now Featherpaw was sweet but stern, now Juniperpaw had his warrior name, Juniperfire. Juniperfire stepped forward now, black-and-white pelt rippling with muscle and green eyes gleaming.

"Yes! Knock it off, Blackpaw. Shape up."

"Shape up! Shape up!"

Splashstar silenced them with a flick of his tail, narrowing his eyes.

"You may stay in the clan. But you must re-prove yourself. Now think and come back when you're loyal to SunriseClan."

Blackwhisker twitched and smiled as he was announced deputy to Juniperstar, knowing that he could make amends with the young leader. And maybe, just maybe, he could make amends enough to make SunriseClan proud.

 **Whew! That was long, and I got WAY far into it.**

 **Briar out!**


	5. Gone Too Soon- Rising Starr

A Challenge for Rising Starr Forum, by Flowing Flower.

Goldenwing stretched, fur glistening in the sunlight. She heard a commotion behind her and turned, smiling, at her five kits. Darkkit, a dark brown tabby, pounced upon his unsuspecting sister, Lilykit. Her smooth, silver tabby pelt with white muzzle, tail-tip, feet, and chest rippled in shock and surprise. Fishkit purred from his post on top of a defeated Mudkit, his gray fur gleaming in the sunlight, while Mudkit's deep brown fur stood out in contrast. Muscle-bound and playful, he tried to get up before promptly falling under the weight of the runt, even though he was the first- born. Goldenwing purred, and looked around for Seedkit, her last daughter. The lighter brown tabby she-cat stared up at her with round blue eyes custom for kits. She hadn't even heard her coming.

"Hi, Mama!" She chirped, mew soft and delicate.

"Hello, my darling." She responded.

All of a sudden, a dark, rotten-smelling group of cats burst in to the RiverClan camp. Dark shapes slipped into the clearing almost before the first yowl broke out, and they leapt into battle. Goldenwing quickly gathered up Darkkit, Lilykit, Mudkit, and Fishkit by their scruffs in her teeth and raced inside of the unperpetrated nursery.

She quickly glanced around before remembering with a painful jolt that Rookwing, her mate, was dead from an accident in a border skirmish a week ago. It still hurt, and sometimes she forgot he was gone.

A quick check around. _Fishkit, Lilykit, Darkkit, Mudkit- where's Seedkit?_

She dashed outside immediately, with only a cautionary but firm "Stay Here" to the rest of her kits. Seedkit was in the middle of the clearing, watching the fray unfold around her unscathed.

"Seedkit!" Goldenwing cried. She leapt forward, but before she could do anything, a muscle-bound tom with a shining pelt so dark brown that it was almost black. Her heart faltered. _Rookwing!_

But no, it couldn't be him. He was dead. And the more she looked, the more differences appeared. A small patch of white, sure, but not in the same place, not the same shape. His eyes- yellow, not green. And his scent...

She was bowled over, knocked off balance by a sudden swing of the dark tom's paw. Her heart lurched.

 _His claws were unsheathed._

He must not know... He must not care that she was a queen. But surely he'd have some respect?

Another rip joined her ear, and she knew her answer. Hissing and spitting, she threw herself onto the tom, yowling and tussling him to the grass. Striking out her paw, she felt a clump of fur rip off of his pelt. She yowled as he did; she with pleasure, he with pain. She ripped herself away and flung herself towards her kit, grabbing her by the scruff and hauling her back in to the nursery in the same breath. She didn't dare waste time inhaling another one.

Panting, she dropped onto the floor of the nursery, crawling over to her nest. She wrapped herself around her kits, then counted four. She looked up to see Seedkit still staring at her. "All you all right?" Panic welled up inside her. Was this the end of her beloved kit?

"Yes, Mama." Her voice was firm and true, and Goldenwing relaxed. But why, then, did she look so worried?

"What's wrong, pumpkin?" She searched her kit's gaze.

Seedkit looked up, shifting her paws. "Why is there a kit in the fighting? Kits aren't supposed to fight."

The battle was over. Goldenwing dragged herself out.

"No!"

In the middle of the clearing was a huddled, misshapen form. She rushed over and gently nudged it with her paw. It rolled over slightly, and Goldenwing shivered when she saw its face.

Cold and lonely, the black-and-white kit still had fluff behind its ears. It must have only been three and a half moons, but its beautiful amber eyes were glazed, caught in a midway point as they shifted color, for he was just old enough to get his own color.

Goldenwing hunched over in grief. Later she would hear that it was none of her warriors' fault, but the rogues they had driven out. It had been killed by their leader, Raven, the tom she had fought, pronounced useless. The ruthless tom was now among one of the dead, and the informer one of the captives that had been forced to fight for him.

But she didn't know that now, now as she gazed down at the poor tom. Purekit, she decided. Purekit, the noble and brave tom, who had fought unjustly until his death. Purekit, who should be snuggled up to his mother's belly right now, suckling in his sleep... Purekit, who should have been dreaming sweet dreams of love and faith...

Purekit, gone too soon.


	6. Emergency- Rising Starr

Ravenpaw was a streak of black fur.

"Borage… Bindweed… Beech leaves… Blackberry leaves… borage… no, I already started that pile… Burnet- no, catchweed! no, burnet, _that's_ catchweed. Great StarClan, there's so many of them! How do you do this?" He pleaded, with a look to Daisyfang, a fluffy black and white she-cat that acted as the medicine cat of his Clan and his mentor.

"Just relax." The she-cat said sternly. But the green eyes that gazed down at him were soft and caring. She was beautiful, the closest thing to a mother he had ever had.

Ravenpaw took a deep breath.

Catchweed was fuzzy, with balls on the end of the stems. Borage had hairy leaves, but distinct flowers. And beech leaves… were large and broad, with serrated edges.

"And what's this?" She pushed her white paw with a few black spots towards him, and then pulled it back to reveal a tantalizing- smelling leaf with a taste in the air that made the tom's black jaws water.

"Catmint."

"Yes!" She purred. "Good job."

She looked at him. "I need to go make dirt, okay? Can you hold on for yourself for a second?"

"Okay."

Her tail swished as she padded out.

Maybe he could just settle down for a quick nap…

"Ravenpaw! Ravenpaw!"

It was Goldenmouse, his sister, a golden tabby she-cat. Her green eyes glittered with worry. "Ravenpaw! It's Daisyfang… she was attacked by a fox!"

He raced over out to the clearing, where his mentor lay on the ground, bleeding, eyes staring off into the distance.

"Daisyfang…" He raced to her side.

She looked him in the eyes.

"Daisyfang, what should I do?"

"Heal me."

"What?!"

Her eyes unfocused as she breathed out one last word.

"Yes."

He snapped back to reality. His mentor or not, this cat was dying, and he would save her. He _could_ save her.

He raced back to his former piles.

Chervil, for infected wounds. Cobwebs, for binding. Goldenrod, to help heal her wounds. Horsetail, for infections and to stop bleeding. He wrapped them all up in dock leaves, and raced back outside of the medicine cats' den.

They had taken her out to the clearing, and as soon as he came he was shocked and appalled. He hadn't focused on the wounds before; but now he saw the long, deep gashes along her flanks; her scarred muzzle dripping with fresh blood; a deep, ruinous bite to her belly.

His blood ran cold. How could he treat her? He was about ready to slump down and give up when her eye cracked open and she gave a faint smile.

"Ravenpaw."

Once again, his mentor had saved her own life. Back into things, he looked around.

"Brightflame!" The calico she-cat jumped, bright green eyes wide.

"Chew on some chervil, and then soak some cobwebs in it. Keep them on some beech leaves- they're the big ones at the entrance- to keep them from getting dirty." The Brightflame curtly nodded, and then dashed off to get the beech leaves.

"Flickeringshadow," he said, satisfied that Brightflame would do fine and focusing on the dark tabby tom, "Chew up some horsetail and goldenrod into a poultice," The tom's amber eyes narrowed with concentration, and he quickly grabbed the plants and scurried off. "Goldenmouse, help him." His sister nodded and followed suit.

He stared down at the black and white she-cat he loved as a mother and friend, just holding onto life.

He looked up, scared, at the light brown tabby with a white underbelly, tail, and muzzle sporting green eyes next to him.

"Thrushstar, where's the fox?"

"Chased away." His usual calm voice was shaky.

"Killed, actually." Every cat looked up as Blacksquirrel, Ravenpaw's mother who looked just like him but with amber eyes, led her patrol back. "We drove it onto the Thunderpath."

They all settled down to wait.

It seemed to take moons, but it was probably only a minute or so until Goldenmouse and Flickeringshadow returned. The poultice was thick and smelled delicious. Ravenpaw scooped up the concoction with his paw and smeared it over all her wounds, especially her belly wound. Soon, Brightflame returned with the cobwebs, which he spread over her flank until she looked almost completely white. He then ordered for dry cobwebs, and though he knew it was delivered, he didn't know from who. He was in the zone.

He then had her nest refreshed with moss and had feathers and dock leaves added to help ease her pain.

When she finally woke up for the first time, she found wet moss and a fresh vole next to her. But the best part of all was her apprentice, the scared kit who had grown into a strong cat. He would have made a great warrior, but now he fought a very different kind of war, this time for other cats.

It was time.

When Daisyfang finally passed, seasons and seasons later, the tom was a well-fitted, full medicine cat.

Head bowed, he grieved for only a small time outwardly. Though he always kept grief, Amberpaw was a great apprentice. If they weren't medicine cats, he would call it love.

Amberfeather was equally distressed when her mentor passed. But stories of him she told to kits, moon after moon, and they told their kits.

Ravenfox would not be forgotten.


End file.
